As I begin typing this, Alexander Semin has just scored the third goal for the Capitals to give them a 3-0 lead. This was a lob from Marcus Johansson that Semin shot out of the air past Lundqvist. Ovechkin's goal to give the Caps a 2-0 lead was nothing short of greatness. He blew past Marc Staal and deked Lundqvist and shot it in backhanded. The Rangers were upset with the Caps in the crease after Mike Green scored on the power play, but they only have themselves to blame.
Throughout this game, the Rangers could not sustain consistent zone time. The Capitals were in the Rangers zone a lot this game. But even so, most of their goals came from breakways or odd-man rushes. This is something the Capitals have improved on this year... and Neuvirth just made an insane save against Derek Stepan with 1:48 left. Henrik Lundqvist played very well this series, however some bounces didn't go his way. Marian Gaborik for one, but also the fact that the defense hung him out to dry at some points during the game.
The Capitals commitment to defense has lead them to this point, where they can effectively shut down teams... and as I say that, the Rangers score, and we have some of the players going at it. You can be sure that the fireworks are not done. I believe Neuvirth can also lead this team to the promised land. His only loss was on two fluky goals, he hasn't given up any soft goals this postseason and I expect his play to continue. But most importantly, the Capitals defense has committed themselves to helping Neuvirth win games for them. As I type these final words, the horn has sounded and the Verizon Center is celebrating. I truly hope that this is just the beginning of a long playoff run.
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